CHAPTER I. Dombey and Son

Dombeysatinthecornerofthedarkenedroominthegreatarm-chairbythebedside,andSonlaytuckedupwarminalittlebasketbedstead,carefullydisposedonalowsetteeimmediatelyinfrontofthefireandclosetoit,asifhisconstitutionwereanalogoustothatofamuffin,anditwasessentialtotoasthimbrownwhilehewasverynew. Dombeywasabouteight-and-fortyyearsofage.Sonabouteight-and-fortyminutes.Dombeywasratherbald,ratherred,andthoughahandsomewell-mademan,toosternandpompousinappearance,tobeprepossessing.Sonwasverybald,andveryred,andthough(ofcourse)anundeniablyfineinfant,somewhatcrushedandspottyinhisgeneraleffect,asyet.OnthebrowofDombey,TimeandhisbrotherCarehadsetsomemarks,asonatreethatwastocomedowningoodtime—remorselesstwinstheyareforstridingthroughtheirhumanforests,notchingastheygo—whilethecountenanceofSonwascrossedwithathousandlittlecreases,whichthesamedeceitfulTimewouldtakedelightinsmoothingoutandwearingawaywiththeflatpartofhisscythe,asapreparationofthesurfaceforhisdeeperoperations. Dombey,exultinginthelong-looked-forevent,jingledandjingledtheheavygoldwatch-chainthatdependedfrombelowhistrimbluecoat,whereofthebuttonssparkledphosphorescentlyinthefeebleraysofthedistantfire.Son,withhislittlefistscurledupandclenched,seemed,inhisfeebleway,tobesquaringatexistenceforhavingcomeuponhimsounexpectedly. “TheHousewillonceagain,MrsDombey,”saidMrDombey,“benotonlyinnamebutinfactDombeyandSon”andheadded,inatoneofluxurioussatisfaction,withhiseyeshalf-closedasifhewerereadingthenameinadeviceofflowers,andinhalingtheirfragranceatthesametime“Dom-beyandSon!” Thewordshadsuchasofteninginfluence,thatheappendedatermofendearmenttoMrsDombey’sname(thoughnotwithoutsomehesitation,asbeingamanbutlittleusedtothatformofaddress):andsaid,“MrsDombey,my—mydear.” Atransientflushoffaintsurpriseoverspreadthesicklady’sfaceassheraisedhereyestowardshim. “HewillbechristenedPaul,my—MrsDombey—ofcourse.” Shefeeblyechoed,“Ofcourse,”orratherexpresseditbythemotionofherlips,andclosedhereyesagain. “Hisfather’sname,MrsDombey,andhisgrandfather’s!Iwishhisgrandfatherwerealivethisday!ThereissomeinconvenienceinthenecessityofwritingJunior,”saidMrDombey,makingafictitiousautographonhisknee“butitismerelyofaprivateandpersonalcomplexion.Itdoesn’tenterintothecorrespondenceoftheHouse.Itssignatureremainsthesame.”Andagainhesaid“DombeyandSon,”inexactlythesametoneasbefore. ThosethreewordsconveyedtheoneideaofMrDombey’slife.TheearthwasmadeforDombeyandSontotradein,andthesunandmoonweremadetogivethemlight.Riversandseaswereformedtofloattheirshipsrainbowsgavethempromiseoffairweatherwindsblewfororagainsttheirenterprisesstarsandplanetscircledintheirorbits,topreserveinviolateasystemofwhichtheywerethecentre.Commonabbreviationstooknewmeaningsinhiseyes,andhadsolereferencetothem.A.D.hadnoconcernwithAnnoDomini,butstoodforannoDombei—andSon. Hehadrisen,ashisfatherhadbeforehim,inthecourseoflifeanddeath,fromSontoDombey,andfornearlytwentyyearshadbeenthesolerepresentativeoftheFirm.Ofthoseyearshehadbeenmarried,ten—married,assomesaid,toaladywithnohearttogivehimwhosehappinesswasinthepast,andwhowascontenttobindherbrokenspirittothedutifulandmeekenduranceofthepresent.SuchidletalkwaslittlelikelytoreachtheearsofMrDombey,whomitnearlyconcernedandprobablynooneintheworldwouldhavereceiveditwithsuchutterincredulityashe,ifithadreachedhim.DombeyandSonhadoftendealtinhides,butneverinhearts.Theyleftthatfancywaretoboysandgirls,andboarding-schoolsandbooks.MrDombeywouldhavereasoned:Thatamatrimonialalliancewithhimselfmust,inthenatureofthings,begratifyingandhonourabletoanywomanofcommonsense.ThatthehopeofgivingbirthtoanewpartnerinsuchaHouse,couldnotfailtoawakenagloriousandstirringambitioninthebreastoftheleastambitiousofhersex.ThatMrsDombeyhadenteredonthatsocialcontractofmatrimony:almostnecessarilypartofagenteelandwealthystation,evenwithoutreferencetotheperpetuationoffamilyFirms:withhereyesfullyopentotheseadvantages.ThatMrsDombeyhadhaddailypracticalknowledgeofhispositioninsociety.ThatMrsDombeyhadalwayssatattheheadofhistable,anddonethehonoursofhishouseinaremarkablylady-likeandbecomingmanner.ThatMrsDombeymusthavebeenhappy.Thatshecouldn’thelpit. Or,atallevents,withonedrawback.Yes.Thathewouldhaveallowed.Withonlyonebutthatonecertainlyinvolvingmuch.Withthedrawbackofhopedeferred.Thathopedeferred,which,(astheScriptureverycorrectlytellsus,MrDombeywouldhaveaddedinapatronisingwayforhishighestdistinctideaevenofScripture,ifexamined,wouldhavebeenfoundtobethatasformingpartofageneralwhole,ofwhichDombeyandSonformedanotherpart,itwast